There was a time when the concept of adopting out "free" cats would prompt a chorus of hisses from cat advocates. Not so much anymore, as many shelters are waiving adoption fees and getting positive results for their felines.

Policies & Programs

The Shelter Pet Project is the first national campaign created to unify large animal welfare organizations with shelters across the country for one specific goal – to increase pet adoption. In partnership with Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council, The HSUS is happy to launch the latest creative media designed to help you solicit more adopters and save more lives! It’s no news to you, but we want everyone to know that there is an amazing shelter pet ready and waiting to meet them at their local shelter.

The Shelter Pet Project is an unprecedented three-year media campaign aimed at boosting pet adoptions nationwide. A collaborative effort by The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie's Fund, and the Ad Council, in partnership with the entire animal welfare community, The Shelter Pet Project has the potental to change the lives of millions of animals.

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, a public-private partnership between the City of New York and over 140 shelter and rescue groups, created a transfer program to help Animal Care & Control (AC&C) get their animals face-to-face with as many potential adopters as possible.

The National Federation of Humane Societies (NFHS) has identified animal transfer programs as one of the key strategies to achieving its 2020 Vision to find a home for every healthy and treatable animal on a nationwide basis by the year 2020.